Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia to undergo season-ending knee surgery

Red Sox catching prospect Johanfran Garcia has a “significant knee injury” and will have season-ending surgery, according to reports from MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Garcia was placed on Low-A Salem’s full-season injured list earlier this week after injuring himself last Wednesday. The 19-year-old ripped a line drive single to left field in the seventh inning of Salem’s 6-4 loss to Myrtle Beach but fell to the ground while rounding first base. He had to be carted off the field and was initially diagnosed with a right knee sprain.

Further imaging revealed a more serious prognosis that will ultimately require Garcia to go under the knife. Red Sox director of player development could not immediately offer a timetable for Garcia’s return when speaking with MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam on the most recent episode of the Fenway Rundown podcast.

“Unfortunately, with some more testing and some information we received, it’s a significant knee injury and he’s going to be out for the season,” said Abraham. “I don’t have details exactly on the injury but it’s unfortunate for him. He’s been one of our best performers, offensively and defensively. He continues to improve and was making a ton of progress.”

Garcia is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 13 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks second among catchers in the organization behind only 2023 first-round draft selection Kyle Teel. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $850,000 as an international free agent coming out of Valencia in January 2022.

Before getting hurt last week, Garcia had gotten his 2024 campaign off to a roaring start. In 14 games for Salem to begin the year, the right-handed hitter batted a stout .385/.467/.596 with five doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, five runs scored, six walks, and 15 strikeouts over 60 plate appearances.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia made 10 of his 14 starts at catcher this season. In the process of logging 85 innings behind the plate, the 5-foot-11, 196-pound backstop allowed two passed balls while throwing out six of 32 possible base stealers.

Garcia, who does not turn 20 until December, could have emerged as an intriguing trade candidate this summer had he stayed healthy. Instead, he will have to shift his focus toward rehabbing and getting ready for 2025 once he is cleared to resume baseball activities.

(Picture of Johanfran Garcia: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Blake Wehunt named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Blake Wehunt has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 29-May 5, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Wehunt picked up the first win of his professional career for Low-A Salem in its 3-1 victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Carilion Clinic Field on Sunday afternoon. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit and zero walks with one hit batsman and a season-high eight strikeouts over five scoreless innings of work.

After cruising through the first four innings of Sunday’s series finale, Wehunt ran into some trouble in the top of the fifth by plunking Miguel Pabon with two outs. One passed ball and balk later, Pabon advanced all the way to third base, but Wehunt left him there by punching out Christopher Paciolla on four pitches to retire the side.

Finishing with 75 pitches (48 strikes), Wehunt induced 14 swings-and-misses en route to improving to 1-0 on the young season. In four starts for Salem now, the righty has posted a 1.15 ERA and 2.84 FIP with 20 strikeouts to eight walks over 15 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .148 batting average against.

Wehunt is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 18th among pitchers in the organization. The Georgia native was selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of last year’s amateur draft out of Kennesaw State. He signed with the club for $100,000 and debuted in the Florida Complex League, making one scoreless appearance there as a reliever.

Standing at an imposing 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, Wehunt throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. He operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, an 82-85 mph sweeping slider, and an 84-85 mph splitter, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Wehunt, who does not turn 24 until November, could be a candidate for a promotion to High-A Greenville later this year if he shows his strong start to the 2024 campaign is no fluke. He projects as a multi-inning reliever in the long term but is currently part of an intriguing six-man rotation in Salem that is comprised of lefty Noah Dean and fellow righties Matt Duffy, Elmer Rodriguez, Luis Cohen, and Jedixson Paez.

(Picture of Blake Wehunt: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Isaac Stebens to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Isaac Stebens from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Stebens, 22, was taken by Boston in the 16th round of last year’s draft out of Oklahoma State. The Stillwater native signed for $150,000, but he did not pitch for a minor-league affiliate after logging 64 1/3 innings and earning NCBWA third-team All-American honors in his lone season with the Cowboys.

Instead, Stebens made his professional debut in Salem earlier this month. The right-hander appeared in six games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits, four walks, and 14 strikeouts over 11 innings of relief in which he held opposing hitters to a .179 batting average against. He also converted three of four save opportunities.

Listed at 6-feet and 194 pounds, Stebens has a unique delivery in which he throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and utilizes a minimal leg kick. He primarily operates with a sinking low-90s fastball that tops out at 95 mph as well as a high-70s slider, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Stebens, who does not turn 23 until December, is the third member of the Red Sox’ 2023 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville so far this season. In that regard, he joins 12th-rounder Max Carlson and 18th-rounder Zach Fogell, though Carlson was sent back down to Salem on Tuesday after appearing in just one game for the Drive.

(Picture of Isaac Stebens: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox sign former Rays farmhand Michael Sansone out of Pioneer League

The Red Sox purchased the contract of left-hander Michael Sansone from the Yolo High Wheelers of the independent Pioneer League on Wednesday, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log.

Sansone, 24, originally signed with Yolo in early March but never pitched for the newly formed High Wheelers since the 2024 Pioneer League season does not start until next month. In fact, he becomes the first player in the team’s history to sign with a major-league organization.

Sansone has been assigned to Low-A Salem but has past experience in affiliated ball. After a four-year career (primarily as a starter) at Fairfield University, the Connecticut native went pro by signing with the Rays in July 2022. He debuted and made four scoreless relief appearances in the Florida Complex League before breaking camp with Tampa Bay’s Low-A affiliate last spring.

In 15 relief outings for the Charleston River Dogs, Sansone posted a 3.49 ERA and 3.10 FIP with 37 strikeouts to five walks over 28 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .243 batting average against (that includes a .179 batting average for left-handed hitters). Despite those relatively strong numbers, the southpaw was released in late July.

Sansone attended a workout for unsigned free agents put together by the Red Sox over the winter. Boston’s scouting staff already knew of Sansone through their connections at Fairfield. Mark Heil, the club’s director of professional scouting, told The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard that “while Sansone doesn’t throw particularly hard,” he has “a good slider and changeup and excellent make-up.”

Like right-hander Danny Kirwin, who also officially signed with the Red Sox out of the Pioneer League on Wednesday, Sansone should provide Salem with additional bullpen depth in the early stages of the 2024 campaign. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound hurler joins fellow lefty Jojo Ingrassia in that regard.

(Picture of Michael Sansone: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Zach Fogell to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Zach Fogell from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to MiLB.com’s transactions log.

Fogell, 23, appeared in just two games for Salem to start the 2024 minor-league season. The left-hander allowed two hits and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts over 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in which he held opposing hitters to a .111 batting average against.

A native of Rhode Island, Fogell was selected by the Red Sox in the 18th round of last year’s amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. He signed with Boston for $150,000 and made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League before first arriving in Salem last August.

Since entering the pro ranks a little less than nine months ago, Fogell has yet to surrender an earned run in seven total appearances (10 innings) between the FCL and Salem. He also got into a pair of major-league spring training games earlier this year and did not give up a run in 1 1/3 innings there, either.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Fogell throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium leg kick into his delivery. The southpaw operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball with late sink, an 88-90 mph changeup with arm-side run, and a sweepy 80-82 slider, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Fogell, who turns 24 in July, is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He joins fellow 2023 draftees Kristian Campbell, Connelly Early, Caden Rose, and Cade Feeney on Greenville’s active roster.

In addition to promoting Fogell to Greenville, the Red Sox added right-hander Trennor O’Donnell to Salem’s roster from extended spring training. Like Fogell, O’Donnell was drafted in the eighth round last year but has yet to make his professional debut.

(Picture of Zach Fogell: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Luis Cohen ‘has several traits teams look for in young pitchers’

After two years in rookie ball, Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Cohen has been assigned to Low-A Salem for the start of the 2024 minor-league season.

Cohen originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2022. The Tucacas native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League shortly thereafter, pitching to a 2.89 ERA with 42 strikeouts to 14 walks over 13 appearances (12 starts) spanning 46 2/3 innings of work.

Last summer, Cohen made the jump to the Florida Complex League. The 20-year-old right-hander made a strong first impression in his stateside debut by earning July’s FCL Pitcher of the Month honors. Altogether, he posted a 3.46 ERA with 39 strikeouts to 14 walks in 10 outings (seven starts, 39 innings) for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate.

Among the 48 FCL pitchers who eclipsed the 30-inning threshold in 2023, Cohen ranked 24th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.00), 12th in walks per nine innings (3.23), 16th in strikeout rate (25.3 percent), 15th in walk rate (9.1 percent), 11th in batting average against (.206), sixth in WHIP (1.08), eighth in line-drive rate (15.6 percent), 12th in ERA, eighth in FIP (3.85), and 17th in xFIP (4.56), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot and 172 pounds, Cohen throws from a three-quarters arm slot and has a high leg kick. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 94 mph, a 74-78 mph curveball that has depth, an 80-82 mph slider that has a horizontal break, and an 80-82 mph changeup that shows late fade.

According to that same scouting report, Cohen “has several traits teams look for in young pitchers and has gained velocity and improved each year.” He could also “see his velocity tick up even more and break out in 2024 if he shows consistency with his command and secondary pitches.”

Cohen, who turns 21 late next month, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system. That now ranks 16th among pitchers in the organization after the site updated its top 60 list on Thursday.

A projected starter, Cohen is not the lone member of Boston’s 2022 international signing class to make Salem’s Opening Day roster. He is joined by the likes of Denis Reguillo, Johanfran Garcia, Marvin Alcantara, and Natanael Yuten. The Red Sox open their season at home against the Carolina Mudcats on Friday night.

With that being said, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported on Monday that from Double-A down, Red Sox minor-league affiliates will employ six-man rotations with multi-inning relievers behind them this season. In Cohen’s case, Salem has virtually every Monday off this year, so he would be in line to make one start per week and then spend time between his outings conducting “goal-oriented side work” for the sake of his own development.

It is an interesting strategy that stems from the Red Sox overhauling their pitching infrastructure under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and director of pitching Justin Willard, but it is one that could benefit younger arms such as Cohen in the long run.

(Picture of Luis Cohen: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz focused on his own development in 2023

Despite dealing with elbow issues last year, Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz still enjoyed a relatively productive 2023 season with Low-A Salem.

Rodriguez-Cruz made 14 starts for Salem, which is where he ended his first full professional season in 2022. In 2023, the 20-year-old right-hander posted a 2.60 ERA and 4.37 FIP with 51 strikeouts to 27 walks over 55 1/3 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .219 batting average against.

Prior to the major-league All-Star break in mid-July, Rodriguez had gone 6-2 with a 2.53 ERA (4.45 FIP) in his first 12 outings (53 1/3 innings) of the season. He was then placed on Salem’s injured list on July 21 with right elbow inflammation and did not return to action until the first of September.

Rodriguez-Cruz made two more starts for Salem before the minor-league campaign drew to a close and went an inning in each, allowing one earned run on two hits, one walk, and three strikeouts. He later told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith at the Red Sox’ fall performance program in Fort Myers that he thought his season “went well.”

“Nobody expects to be injured but besides that, I started the season strong,” Rodriguez-Cruz said. “I feel like I was doing great. I was developing some stuff the organization wants me to do. I feel like I was doing all those things.”

Among the 111 pitchers who tossed 50 or more innings in the Carolina League last year, Rodriguez-Cruz most notably ranked 33rd in batting average against, 42nd in WHIP (1.27), 36th in groundball rate (48.3 percent), and seventh in ERA, per FanGraphs.

Rodriguez-Cruz was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round (105th overall pick) of the 2021 amateur draft out of Leadership Christian Academy in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The Trujillo Alto native forwent his commitment to the University of Oregon by signing with Boston for $497,500 as a 17-year-old that July.

Since debuting in the rookie-level Florida Complex League the following June, Rodriguez-Cruz has compiled a 2.31 ERA (3.76 FIP) with 93 strikeouts to 42 walks over 27 total appearances (24 starts) spanning 93 2/3 innings in pro ball thus far.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, Rodriguez-Cruz throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, a 76-78 mph curveball that features long, 11-to-5 break, an 86-88 mph changeup, and an 84-86 mph slider that is considered by SoxProspects.com to be a “work in progress.”

To that end, Rodriguez-Cruz indicated to Smith back in September that one of his main goals of the offseason was to build strength as he continues to fill out.

“That’s going to help me to improve velo and all that and stay healthy,” the righty explained. “I feel like working on my body is my main priority.”

Having said that, it will be interesting to see if Rodriguez-Cruz benefits from the new pitching infrastructure the Red Sox are putting in place under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Brian Abraham, Boston’s farm director, described Rodriguez-Cruz to Smith as a “development staff’s dream because he’s young, he has a live arm, he’s athletic, he’s got a good frame to put on weight, and he works hard.”

Rodriguez-Cruz — who does not turn 20 until August — is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 season.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Dean ended debut season on positive note last year

For Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Dean, the 2023 season was not without its challenges.

Dean spent all of 2023 with Low-A Salem. The 22-year-old left-hander posted a 6.29 ERA and 5.51 FIP with 86 strikeouts to 72 walks in 21 appearances (17 starts) spanning 63 innings of work for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Despite being regarded by Baseball America as “one of the more exciting pure relievers” in his class when he was taken by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Old Dominion, Dean — who did not pitch with an affiliate after signing for $322,500 — made his professional debut as a starter last April.

Maybe it was to be expected, but Dean struggled in that unfamiliar role out of the gate. The New Jersey native put up an 8.31 ERA in four April starts, though he managed to hold opponents to a .194 batting average against while doing so. He then put together two scoreless, five-inning starts to begin and end a more encouraging month of May.

June (15 earned runs in nine innings) yielded far less promising results. The same can be said for July (eight earned runs in 14 2/3 innings) as well, but it appears as though Dean began to figure things out a bit after the All-Star break.

In his final three starts of July, for instance, Dean struck out 20 of the 50 batters he faced over 12 frames in which he pitched to a 4.50 ERA. He made one more start on August 6, but lasted just two-thirds of an inning in that outing before moving to the bullpen for the remainder of the season.

As a reliever, Dean appeared in four games for Salem down the stretch and did not allow a run in three of them. Walks were still somewhat of an issue, but the lefty forged a 2.93 ERA while punching out 21 and yielding just five hits across 15 1/3 innings out of the Red Sox’ bullpen.

Altogether, it was a mixed bag of sorts for Dean in his debut season, but he certainly ended things on a positive note. He was one of just seven southpaws to take the mound for Salem in 2023 and unsurprisingly fared better against left-handed hitters (.196 opponents’ batting average) than right-handed hitters (.246 opponents’ batting average).

Among the 74 pitchers who logged at least 60 innings in the Carolina League last year, Dean ranked seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (12.29), 19th in strikeout rate (28.5 percent), 29th in batting average against (.232), and seventh in batting average on balls in play (.358), which suggests that he might have gotten unlucky at times on account of poor defense behind him or something similar.

On the flip side of those impressive strikeout numbers, though, Dean was also among the worst in the Carolina League when it came to giving up ball four. Using the same parameters as above, Dean ranked 74th in walks per nine innings (10.29), walk rate (23.8 percent), and WHIP (1.97), 71st in ERA and xFIP (5.41), and 72nd in FIP, per FanGraphs.

To that end, it will be of the utmost importance for Dean to refine both his command and control of the strike zone as he continues to develop. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound hurler already possesses an intriguing three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 mph, a 77-81 mph curveball, and an 83-85 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Dean, who turns 23 in March, is not currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is projected by the site to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 season, but will likely do so as a member of the Drive’s bullpen as opposed to their starting rotation.

(Picture of Noah Dean: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

How did Red Sox prospect Armando Sierra fare in stateside debut last year?

After two years in the Dominican Summer League, Red Sox prospect Armando Sierra made his long-awaited stateside debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last season.

As a 19-year-old, Sierra got into 30 of the FCL Red Sox’ 53 games in 2023. The right-handed hitter batted .265/.363/.398 with seven doubles, two home runs, 12 RBIs, 13 runs scored, 14 walks, and 30 strikeouts over 113 plate appearances for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate.

Interestingly enough, Sierra played exactly 10 games in June, July, and August. He posted an OPS south of .600 in both June and August, but enjoyed a strong month of July in which he slashed .424/.525/.606 with one homer and six RBIs. It’s also worth noting that 99 of his 113 plate appearances last season came against righties as opposed to lefties.

Among the 96 hitters who made at least 110 trips to the plate in the FCL last year, Sierra ranked 33rd in batting average, 46th in on-base percentage, 37th in slugging percentage, 40th in OPS (.761), 37th in isolated power (.133), and 43rd in wRC+ (104), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Sierra saw the bulk of his playing time in 2023 come at first base. The 6-foot-1, 189-pounder logged a team-leading 224 1/3 innings at first, where he committed four errors in 207 total defensive chances. He also served as his side’s designated hitter on two separate occasions.

Sierra, who celebrated his 20th birthday earlier this month, originally signed with the Red Sox for $150,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021. At the time he put pen to paper, the Sabana Grande de Palenque native was viewed as an outfielder and was identified by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as a potential sleeper within Boston’s 2021 signing class.

While Badler described Sierra as having “an advanced approach to hitting for his age,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero provided some more background on the signing in an email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com later that April.

“Armando was a player we scouted later on in his signing year. After scouting him a few times, he stood out for his strong frame and his power,” Romero wrote. “As we continued to see him, it became apparent that not only did he have above average power for his signing class, but he also was developing a stronger approach.”

Sierra made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that July and earned DSL All-Star honors while repeating the level in 2022. He was regularly seeing playing time at both corner outfield spots back then but was used exclusively as a first baseman in the FCL in 2023.

As things stand now, Sierra is not regarded by any major publication as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. Last June, however, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote that he found Sierra “really interesting” because — despite having a “tough” profile — “his feel for contact and the flexibility in his lower half are both very impressive for a corner bat.”

Looking ahead, Sierra is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Low-A Salem for the start of the 2024 campaign. Assuming that is indeed what happens, it will be interesting to see how Sierra adjusts to stiffer competition while playing with a full-season affiliate for the first time in his young career.

(Picture of Armando Sierra: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Albert Feliz led Low-A Salem in homers (10) last season

Coming into the 2023 season, Red Sox first base prospect Albert Feliz had hit 10 career home runs in 106 professional games. Thanks to a power-filled second half, he was able to match that total with Low-A Salem last year.

As a 21-year-old, Feliz got into 90 games for Salem in 2023. The right-handed hitter slashed .242/.315/.407 with 17 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 45 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 29 walks, and 121 strikeouts over 333 plate appearances.

Nine of those team-leading 10 home runs came after the calendar flipped from June to July, as Feliz slugged a stout .497 in his final 48 games (185 plate appearances) of the year. During that impressive stretch, he recorded both the second four-hit game (July 6) and multi-homer game (August 31) of his young career.

Among the 71 hitters who made at least 300 trips to the plate in the Carolina League last season, Feliz posted the 11th-highest slugging percentage, isolated power mark (.165), and line-drive rate (24.4 percent). He also ranked 30th in batting average, 24th in OPS (.723), and 26th in wRC+ (104), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Feliz saw the majority of his playing time with Salem come at first base, as he made a team-high 48 starts there while only committing six errors in 382 chances. Elsewhere, the burly 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged 131 1/3 innings in left field (where he recorded three outfield assists) and 14 innings in right. He also pitched in one game (Aug. 25), which is something he has done in each of the last three seasons.

Feliz, who turns 22 in April, is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top-ranked prospects in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2018.

After a strong pro debut in 2019, when he went deep nine times in 66 Dominican Summer League games, Feliz’ career was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As a result of the pandemic, Feliz did not make his stateside debut until July 2021. His first game in the rookie-level Florida Complex League actually came on the three-year anniversary of his signing date (July 2).

In the time that has passed since then, Feliz has established himself as a bat-first prospect with plus-plus raw power to the pull side and some holes in his swing. Couple those issues to make contact with a limited defensive profile, and it becomes clear that Feliz still has some work to do on the developmental side of things.

With that being said, Feliz is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 minor-league campaign. The Drive are fresh off winning their second South Atlantic League title and open their season on the road in early April.

(Picture of Albert Feliz: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)